Planning, scheduling core of MXG mission

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Pedro Mota
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  It usually goes unnoticed when the heart is operating as intended, but let it skip a beat, and even the strongest will take note. Almost the same can be said for plans and scheduling. Overlooked by some, it is the heart of the 56th Maintenance Group.

The 56th MXG plans and scheduling team are the overall managers of the proper scheduling and documentation of the maintenance on the aircraft. Not only do they touch more than one area, they handle flying phases, fuels and engine maintenance along with the 56th Operations Group.

"The plan that we put together affects all of maintenance and operations, and we rely on them to execute it smoothly," said Master Sgt. Fred Anane, 56th MXG wing plans and scheduling superintendent. "Without plans and scheduling members, the aircraft would have a shorter lifespan and some of the components could fail, resulting in loss of life."

Plans and scheduling gathers input from both maintainers and pilots, and then piece it together to formulate the weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly flying schedules, which in turn the maintainers and pilots will have to execute to the best of their ability.

"The 56th Maintenance Operations Squadron depends on the schedule so they can efficiently maintain their aircraft," said Airman 1st Class Mathew Nauman, 56th MXG aircraft maintenance scheduler.

It is a constant fulfillment of aircraft requirements for the plans and scheduling Airmen, to keep the aircraft serviced while maintaining enough aircraft to fulfill mission requirements. They have a variety of things they must accomplish in a week's time, from attending production and scheduling meetings, ordering parts, building weekly maintenance and flying schedules, updating long-range plans, and ensuring daily maintenance jobs are completed by the maintainers that are checking aircraft forms to ensure the information is accurate.

"We contribute to the overall mission of the base by providing precise flying schedules, taking into consideration the pilots training timeline and weekly meetings with the operators to support their training," Anane said. "Without aircraft we can't train our warfighters, which is the mission here at Luke."